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 English Lesson 10

Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

Comparatives are words that compare two things.

Superlatives are used to compare more than two things.

Rule 1
  • To form the comparative or superlative of one syllable words with more than one vowel OR ending with more than one consonant at the add -er OR -est.
tall taller tallest
neat neater neatest
deep deeper deepest

 

Rule 2
  • To form the comparative or superlative of a one syllable word ending in e add -r OR -st.
wide wider widest
fine finer finest
cute cuter cutest

 

Rule 3
  • To form the comparative or superlative of a one syllable word with one vowel and one consonant at the end double the consonant, and add -er OR -est.
sad sadder saddest
big bigger biggest
fat fatter fattest

 

Rule 4
  • To form the comparative or superlative of a two syllable word ending in y, change the y to i, then add -er OR -est.
happy happier happiest
jolly jollier jolliest
lazy lazier laziest


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Practice

Directions:  Write the comparative and superlative forms of the following words.

  comparative superlative
odd odder oddest
prickly pricklier prickliest
1.  hot    
2.  light    
3,  lively    
4.  ugly    
5.  small    
6.  lonely    
7.  soft    
8.  silly    
9.  nasty    
10.  dull    
11. frail    
12.  funny    
13. great    
14. tan    
15.  tricky    
16.  rainy    
17.  redder    
18.  scary    
19.  short    
20.  yummy    

Directions:  Choose the correct adjective.

  1. The temperature today is lower, lowest today than yesterday.

  2. Winter is the colder, coldest time of the year.

  3. The snow is deeper, deepest in New York than in Florida.

  4. Chester thought New York City was noisier, noisiest than Connecticut.

  5. The subway station was the busier, busiest place in the city.

-----------Key-----------

 

  1. hotter

  2. lighter

  3. livelier

  4. uglier

  5. smaller

  6. lonelier

  7. softer

  8. sillier

  9. nastier

  10. duller

  11. frailer

  12. funnier

  13. greater

  14. tanner

  15. trickier

  16. rainier

  17. red

  18. scary

  19. short

  20. yummy

  21. lower

  22. coldest

  23. deeper

  24. noisier

  25. busiest